Great site here! My brother and I are just getting into modelling and are looking at getting an airbrush. We will be making mostly WW2 armoured vehicles. Neither of us has ever used an airbrush and I have been doing some research that has left me with a couple of questions.

1) Due to price concerns I am considering buying a brush that runs off of the air canisters as opposed to a compressor. We can always upgrade to a compressor later. Any opinions on this?

2) Single-action vs. double-action? I have a feeling that double-action is really the only way to go but I would love to get some input on that from some experienced modellers.

3) Any websites or books you could suggest that cover painting and weathering techniques in an in-depth fasion?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

--Eyeball

Welcome to the best site around! I'm sure you will have a great time.
Trying to answer your questions:

1)the majority of the airbrushes works fine with an air can. On the long run the air cans get far a lot more expensive than buying a compressor
2) double action is, in my view the best, but if the budget is tight you can go for a cheap single action one
3) there are many books on the subject, but if you go to the Testor's site, for instance, you will find a quite good general modelling guide that covers the subjects. Try also to search here in Armorama and you'll find a lot about this too...
Ciao

Cool! Thanks for the info. I can't wait to get started

The Paasche H is an excellent, economical (should be under $50) single action airbrush. You can get some very tight lines with it using the finest tip and practice. Do not waste the money of the real cheap ones that do not have a repalceable nozzle. Ditto on the cans, they run out fast, lose pressure even faster and do get to be very expensive. A better alternative would be to get an air tank and get it filled at a gas station as needed.
When youget it, thin the paint to milk consistency and practice. Then practice some more. I have always found enamels to work better, though others swear by acrylics. Remember to clean the brush thouroughly at the end of each painting session, before the paint cures.

Good info. Thanks!

Hey Eyeball,

Couple more things. If you decide to get a compressor, you might want to consider getting a regulator and moisture trap for it. The regulator allows you to regulate the air pressure for the airbrush ( I guess that's probably obvious) and the moisture trap will help eliminate water build up in the line which can spurt out of the airbrush onto your model leaving spots and stuff. With the North Carolina humidity, this might be a concern. As an add on to a compressor, they probably run about $50. Some compressors come with them.

Cheers,
Ghengis

Eyeball,

Welcome aboard. The portable air tank AJ mentioned is a good idea. This is what you are after, about 30 to 40 bucks...



Shaun

Thanks for the idea of the air tank guys! A friend of mine just came over and we were just talking about it.

-eyeball

Is there any concerns over the air pressure when using the portable air tank?

The importance of thoroughly cleaning the airbrush EVERY time you use it, and even in between colors sometimes, cannot be overstated. If you use acrylics, which dry faster than enamels, the brush may have to be given mini-cleanings during airbrushing sessions; if you use enamels, you'll have to use a ton of thinner, which smells and isn't free. Your choice, but it's going to be a bit of a hassle regardless of which you use. BUT, once you figure out how to use the brush, it's definitiely worth it.

Hint: Try to clean the brush in the same direction as the airflow - i.e., from back to front. That way, you won't smear paint throughout the brush into places it wouldn't get on its own. I'm embarassed to say that I had been using an airbrush (intermitently) for 10 years before I figured that one out. #:-)

Second hint: Buy tons and tons of pipe-cleaners. You can't have enough of those things for cleaning.

Third hint: When you get your airbrush, get an extra needle or two (if the one you're getting uses a needle). Until you learn to be very careful during the disassembly/cleaning/assembly process, you're likely to bend the point, and even a slight kink can really disrupt the pattern.

Fourth hint: You're not going to thin the paint enough the first few times. Especially if you're using acrylic. If the paint is really thin enough to airbrush with, you couldn't possibly get any coverage if you used a regular brush with it.

The above are just my personal feelings and preferences. It's possible others disagree. Good luck with the airbrush. As I said, I've been using one for years and years, and I'm still discovering new things I can do with it. It's a hassle, but when you get it working properly, it's a blast.

I really have to advise you to get a compressor, whatever the cost. Cans of air cost a fortune and cause no end of grief. The pressure drops at a critical point, spattering paint just when you need a fine line. Then they either run out just as you need to clean your airbrush, or you don't clean your brush properly because of the expense of running that air through it (used to be around £5 for a small can here...be cheaper throwing money down a drain).

The tank you fill at the gas station...free air, but it will never hold enough and you'll be back to taking short-cuts trying to not run out.

A compressor means you can brush freely AND clean the brush freely, without restriction. It's the difference between brushing with confidence and making a horrible mess.

Personally I'd skimp on the brush before I sacrificed my plentiful source of air.

I further recommend an Aztec brush...the needle change is as easy as swapping the nozzle and cleaning is as simple as firing thinners thru it (though I do a major clean once every couple of months).

http://www.testors.com/catalog_brand.asp?brandNbr=1&ictNbr=10

Thanks again for all the info fellas. I'll have to buy one of those t-shirts to support the site! :-)

Personally the way I went was:

Badger Anthem 155 (about $120) an all around descent AirBrush (IMHO) and a compressor from WalMart (>$100) its a 2 gallon tank, works great for me...a little large (given the tank) and slightly noisier than say a badger compressor, but if you are on a budget works great. I haven't found any negative points other than the noise.

Air Compressor @ WalMart

* get a compressor right away, you will end up by saving much more money. Plus, air cans tend to become cold and give little pressure after just a couple of minutes of using it.
* Aztek 470 .. very recommended

(++) B H (++)

These guys have you pointed in the right direction - here is my .02 worth.

First, buy an Aztec brush. A model A470 is a good, not very expensive place to start looking. Buy one of their brushes with the "roller" feature. This allows you to switch back and forth between single and double action. The Aztec is also the easiest brush to clean, and the interchangeable nozzles for the brush can be found at almost any decent hobby store. They are also a little more robust than other brushes.

Second, when using canned air, bottled air, or a compressor, remember that you MUST use a moisture trap. DON'T find this out the hard way. A big splat of H2O on your paintjob that you just spent 30 hours on is NOT a good thing, and this goes for either enamels or acrylics, but especially for enamel paints. Canned Air is not the way to go - if it is your only option, then use it but the cans are about $10 a shot, they don't last, and they provide lousy pressure and results. I would go with the refillable air tank over canned air, but a hobby compressor is an even better solution. - I use a tank of compressed C02 that I get refilled from my local oxygen supply house. Regulator cost you about $75, then the tanks are about $20 - $25 to fill. Some places will also charge you an initial deposit for the first tank. Advantages: No noise, no moisture whatsoever, superior performance, and they last about 6 - 9 months of fairly heavy use.

Third: Whatever you do, spray, spray, spray. You will need practice, and the more you do, the better you will get.

Best of luck to you. I have three airbrushes (Iwata, Badger, and Aztec) and I think that it is the most important modeling tool after the Xacto knife.

HTH,

Scott